Chinese Rights Advocate Tortured in Captivity

In the shadow of a Beijing Olympics touted as a harbinger of change and human rights improvements, a well-placed informant from China disclosed to Sound of Hope Radio (SOH) the painful plight of renowned Chinese human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng since his disappearance a year ago.

The anonymous insider told SOH in a telephone interview that Gao, after his mysterious disappearance on September 22, 2007, was taken by the PRC police to a secret location where he suffered physical and psychological torture for nearly 60 days. The source said the level of torture was “beyond anyone’s imagination” and even the police executing the torture admired Gao’s uncompromising spirit.

While recounting the tortures inflicting on Gao, the insider souce said [transcribed from the telephone recording], “For example, they stripped attorney Gao Zhisheng naked, threw him to the ground and attacked him with electric batons. They deprived him of sleep. This is very common. It goes without saying that they beat him up as well. They have resorted to lowly, despicable means.”

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The insider added that they tortured Gao Zhisheng to make him do three things. First, to make him write an article condemning Falun Gong. Second, to make him write articles condemning the founder of Falun Gong. Third, to make him write articles praising the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“But Gao Zhisheng did not compromise,” the source said. “The police were shattered to watch the horrible tortures. The outside world cannot imagine [the severity of the torture.]”

The insider added that Gao was tortured in the same way Falun Gong practitioners are tortured and that the level of torture will make one feel like an animal instead of a human being. The tortures were so cruel that Gao Zhisheng thought of committing suicide and hurting himself, according to the source. While recounting Gao’s plight, the insider repeatedly said, “the tortures are beyond anyone’s imagination.”

The insider told SOH that, with the Beijing Olympic Games impending, the CCP has secretly removed Gao’s family away from Beijing for fear of any unwanted incident, and the Chinese authorities do not plan to release Gao before the Olympic Games are over.

Gao Zhisheng is an attorney once highly praised by China for his successes. In 2005, after sending a series of open letters to authorities questioning the torture and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners, a campaign of harassment, arrest and torture was directed at Gao and his family.